Rockfield provides specialist engineering services to evaluate aged or damaged concrete structures. This includes concrete assets where structural integrity is in question and where environmental and operational conditions have influenced the concrete (i.e. corrosion, chemical attack, dynamic loading).
Inspection and evaluation of concrete degradation. Rockfield engineers attend site and provide inspection and evaluation of aged concrete structures to advise asset managers. Typical inspections include visual examination, crack survey, exploratory concrete removal, concrete coring and a range of non-destructive testing, such as ground penetrating radar and surface resistivity testing. Laboratory testing is performed to carry out electrochemical analysis and petrographic examination of collected samples. Rockfield also provides 3rd party due diligence reviews to provide specialist advice on design compliance, structural repair and/or remediation strategies.
a) Onsite Inspection b) Core Sampling c) Physical Testing
Design analysis and modelling of concrete structures. Rockfield has developed finite element models of aged concrete structures and validated their accuracy through field experimentation and large-scale testing. A typical design review will include both analytical calculations and numerical modelling to ascertain the overall effect of any observed degradation. Modelling scenarios are analysed to determine the most appropriate locations for physical load tests and to identify parameters that enable safe on-site load testing and experimentation. This procedure is also applicable to jetty structures subject to one-off loading scenarios where product spillage or crane lifting scenarios require evaluation.
a) Reinforced Concrete Analysis b) Load Testing c) Displacement Test and FE Modelling
On-site instrumentation and measurement. Rockfield maintains a comprehensive suite of instrumentation suitable for short to long term asset measurement and data collection (strain gauges, crack detection, accelerometers, displacement transducers). This capability is enhanced with Rockfield’s specialist skills in design analysis and finite element modelling to accurately predict location and gauge sensitivity requirements. Rockfield has gained experience from instrumentation of existing civil structures (i.e buildings and jetties), together with a range of experimental tests to determine force/deflection responses and associated deck loading responses.
Remediation for aged or damaged concrete structures. Rockfield can advise, plan and facilitate a variety of concrete structural remediation activities. These include surface treatment, sealing joints, cathodic protection, chloride extraction, realkalisation, externally bonding FRP reinforcement and tendon replacement.
a) Concrete Strain Gauge b) Remediation Strategies - FRP Reinforcement
